Lascuña joins Ababa in front with late birdies

MANILA, Philippines — Tony Lascuña picked himself up from an early unnecessary slip and found himself back in the hunt coming off a shattering playoff setback, his 67 putting him in joint lead with Jhonnel Ababa, one ahead of Ira Alido and Aussie Jack Lane-Weston at the start of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship at Del Monte Golf Club in Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon yesterday.

Lascuña grew impatient after a bogey on No. 7 that spoiled a fine start of two birdies in the first four holes but settled down to shoot four more birdies in the last 10 and match Ababa’s five-under-par round, a bogey-free card he spiked with two birdies in the last four holes at the frontside of the tight layout that bedeviled the games of the home bets.

“I got a bit careless on No. 7 and somewhat lost my focus. But I told myself that it’s just the first and tried to rebound. So I regained my rhythm after I birdied No. 10,” said Lascuña, the former three-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion out to end a two-year title spell in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including a playoff loss to local ace Reymon Jaraula at Pueblo de Oro last weekend.

Ababa, who missed joining the playoff cast at Pueblo by just one stroke, put in a flawless round in hot, humid conditions but rued his missed eagle chances on the three par5s that he birdied with solid driving and superb iron game.

“It was kind of perfect but had some lapses in judgment and blew my eagle chances on Nos. 6, 9 and 14,” said Ababa, the winningest player on PGT Asia with four victories but winless on PGT this year.

Reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla and Paul Miñoza both holed out with birdies on the ninth to card 71s as they emerged the best-placed players from the host province at 18th, four behind the hot-starting Davaeño aces.

But most pre-tournament favorites lived up to the hype with strong starts, among them Alido, who continued to dish out big games after a fifth-place effort at Aboitiz and a joint third finish at Pueblo. He shot a 68, firing three birdies at the front then negating a bogey mishap on No. 12 with birdies on Nos. 14 and 18.

Lane-Weston, meanwhile, put himself in early contention after a joint 25th effort at Pueblo with strong finishes on both nines. He birdied four of the last five at the back for a 33 then recovered from bogeys on Nos. 2 and 5 with three birdies in the last four to join Alido at second.